Talks every parent dreams of ... NOT!

Tomorrow we take Frisco to the Vet at 7:30 AM so he can get fixed. Malachi was unclear what he was going for and asked if he was getting some more shots. (There was a tremble in voice and tears in his eyes already just thinking about it.) Lucky for Malachi that he has a big brother who promptly told him that he was going to have surgery. He then proceeded to tell Malachi that he was getting fixed which meant they were going to go in and “cut his balls off”. You can only imagine Malachi’s response to that. I was choking with laughter in the driver’s seat and promptly corrected the situation with a technical description of a vasectomy procedure. All the medical terms kept me from having to explain other facts of life that are a “need to know” basis and a must for their Dad to be involved with as I’d hate for him to miss out on such a wonderful opportunity to stumbling around for explanations to their invasive questions!

Oh the joys of having children and inquisitive minds!

Challenges bring growth?

Okay so we are feeling some major growing pains.  Fortunately we know (from experience) that growing pains bring new growth.  After sitting last week with no job and knowing that Randy only has two (2) weeks of work left this year with his current contractor we find ourselves a little excited for what is to come.  Every since we were at the campground in Perry and suffered the multiple burned up chords from the campgrounds faulty electrical box have incurred numerous costly repairs to our rig.  We spent two (2) days at Camping World getting more damages diagnosed and are presently waiting for an adjustor to come look at our rig as we have exceeded $1000 in just the converter box and holding tank issues not including the other items.  On top of that the power steering pump went out on Randy's truck, his serpentine belt broke and his tensioner pulley froze up.  To definitely make sure we know we are in God's will and a threat to Satan ... my van has started overheating, the air conditioner has stopped working, the blower switch on the inside has stopped working and my blinker light has burned out once again ... or possibly a short of some type.  So much for any funds that we had set aside to help us weather the time without any paying work. 

Can you say Faith walk?  The amazing thing through it all is our excitement towards what is to come and where God is going to be taking us.  Yes, we are still a bit anxious on the funding part … but God has never turned his back on us and promises He won’t.  So, we find ourselves back in Perry, this time at Fair Harbor Campground with a fishing pond (but as the boys keep reminding me … no Grandpa to fish with).  In the midst of our Faith walk God has allowed us to prayerfully walk along side another of our God given brothers who is seeking God’s will and praying for the strength to take that first step of faith.  It’s so encouraging to be able to truly KNOW what he is feeling and have pretty much experienced each of his areas of discomfort that are holding him back so have a voice of experience to share with him.  The boys and I were honored this morning with attending church with his family at New Hope International.  I have been raised a quiet, Quaker girl and relish the Spiritual quite worship of communion … so when in route he brought up that their church was Pentecostal … I promptly felt a temporary moment of panic.  (I did mention panic right?  I’ve attended a couple different Pentecostal churches that were, in my words very RADICAL and definitely not a place that I was able to find any sense of worship.  My parents attended one with me in Dallas TX … and they were pretty mute when we exited too.)  Once again God’s sense of humor shows itself to me.  Though I didn’t know their music, I still was able to have a wonderful time of worship with God and boy was the sermon just written for me.  Imagine that, God used a loud worship setting with a very energetic Pentecostal preacher to touch the innermost core of my heart and give me the encouragement and reminders of His promises that He gave for me and our family.  The title of his sermon … “God’s Bail Out Plan”. 

I can’t even begin to explain the excitement and energy I have for what is ahead both challenge wise and reward wise.  I shared some with Randy when he called at lunch break to see how we were doing … but that caused even more peace and anticipatory excitement to grow.  It’s just like yeast!  Now I’m praying that we’ll be able to use that “yeast” to make great “bread” to share and spread according to His will.  WOW!

Impromtu Family Week

We're in Augusta, GA and the work that was scheduled for this week just got cancelled with obviously no notice ... so we improvised and spent time trying to get ready for whatever God has coming up for us next!

Tips from my Navajo Family

Well, we find ourselves in Augusta Georgia this week with the job we were scheduled to do cancelled. Not sure what God has in store for us but … we’ve taken a tip from our Navajo Family and put it in to action for the week.

Many years ago I was blessed with getting to take my family to the Navajo Reservation and introduce my amazing husband; stepson, Sheridan and firstborn, Josiah (Malachi wasn’t born yet) to some of the people I have grown up knowing as family. We visited as many people and places as was feasible thus getting blessed by some amazing home prayer meetings, fabulous food and ability to serve by helping out with different projects i.e. working on vehicles, minor home/hogan repairs, sheep herding, etc. One of the hogan’s we came up to had all of their possessions outside. The guys thought they were in the process of moving … but once we got out and greeted them they found out they were just cleaning their hogan. Thus my Navajo heritage has kicked in this week and … you got it … we literally emptied out our “hogan” and cleaned.

I have to admit it is the easiest and best way to accomplish it. Once it’s empty you clean from ceiling to floor then start putting things back in where they belong and leave out the excess clutter. I meant to take a picture when the furniture and all was setting outside but was so focused on cleaning I didn’t get it done until the end. (Probably a good thing as I’d probably be embarrassed looking at all we have put in to our 37’ home!) It’s a great way to meet your neighbors too as everyone kept stopping and asking if we were having a garage sale. (As if we truly had a garage! But then again with all we had … Ha!)

God’s surprise blessing in all of this was that we sold some Watkins and sold/donated some of our excess. It didn’t cover or exceed what Randy was to have made for the week but it did help cover our living expenses. God always provides - you just have to keep your “God Sighting” vision open to see the wonders He does in the smallest ways to show us how much He loves and cares for us. And we have items to sell on the http://www.MFB247.com site in the classified section (as soon as I figure out how to do it!) and on craigslist.com or E-Bay for future financial needs and more space in our home.

It also gave us another teaching point for ourselves and our blessings God’s sharing with us, Josiah & Malachi. When we are saved and give God the throne of our life He literally comes in and cleans our heart and lets us start fresh with a new, clean heart letting us choose what we move back in. As the typical parent He’s there watching and loving us all the time … beaming with the parental overflowing joy that only a parent can have when their child does greatness even in the smallest things … and … burdened with the deepest sorrow as only a parent can experience when their child makes choices that result in negative consequences and pain. As the Parent of all parents … He teaches us that no matter how high the joy or deep the sorrow … A parent ALWAYS loves us and is there for us. Thank you Abba Father!!

Sorry Blondes!

God has such a wonderful sense of humor!!! And He's soooooo good to me.

We’re all getting just a tad homesick … I’m even missing Ann, the wonderful Irish cousin, who does my hair. (She’s in Haysville if you need a good hair stylist.) Okay, back to the point. The other day the boys and I were watching TV when this blonde was on the screen. Malachi commented on the “gray haired lady”. It took me a while to figure out he was talking about the young blonde. In his books there is no such thing as blonde … only gray. Definitely earned him another great big hug from mom.

Another lesson in God’s sense of humor and it’s all in how we perceive things! If you don’t like what you see … look at it differently. God’s blessing is always there.

Sad Day for Georgia

... but Awesome Day for Texas. After getting a few extremely short days with our friends, the Myers' family was deployed to South Texas to work the Ike storm. It was an honor to be able to help them get things road ready for a safe journey back to their home territory. We hope to be meeting up with them in the near future if the Good Lord's willing. What a blessing they have been in our lives. The day was even cool and dreary here to match our blue mood.

We're Pulling our teeth out!!

Okay, well maybe just the loose ones! Malachi is definitely going to bankrupt the tooth fairy. He was a little (okay majorly) disappointed when the tooth fairy obviously didn't get the change of address and went to Daytona Beach FL instead of Augusta GA to collect the tooth. It was later the next evening after Malachi was told he couldn't sleep in the backroom on the coach two nights in a row that he broke down in tears ... and discovered (with his wonderful mom's help) that the tooth fairy had come some time during the day and left a dollar in the envelope for him. It was a happy night for all after that. PTL for an all knowing God that loves us and keeps track of us where ever we are and can redirect tooth fairies!

Next Best Thing to Home!

What a day! We left Daytona FL today to head back to Augusta GA to work for a week. God is so good at providing us work as two of the guys were sent home and amazingly enough we got to stay. PTL! It meant having to haul one of the work trailers to Augusta but it wasn't too heavy for my van. However it was a very LONG trip as the weight was just enough to keep the engine warm enough that the air conditioner wouldn't work with heat outside and the added load. Thus ... mom was one very hot, sweaty person when we got to Augusta.

God is ever protective. Once again we had another blow out on our fifth wheel ... except this time it was a pit crew of only ONE (Randy) who changed it. Due to the excess heat in my van, the boys and I dutifully left Randy in the parking lot at Camping World in St. Augustine to change the tire and replace the battery while we headed to Burger King to get some air conditioning ... oh yeah, and food. This is our third tire we have had to replace since heading to Florida. Three more to go and we'll have a full new set!

Once we were back on the road I thoroughly (despite the heat) enjoyed my "mommy" time. I just love this time alone when I can truly focus and listen to God. I found myself praising Him for all the wonderful Christian music stations on the radio in Florida. As we journeyed I was able to listen and worship. I heard some messages or short quips that really ministered to me and got me thinking and looking at things we do. One of the talks was on what we watch, read and listen too and how it effects who and what we are on the inside. Talk about being put on the accountability block ... we're pretty strict with what we watch and listen to especially with the boys ... but there have been times when we couldn't find local Christian radio stations so we would listen to other music which wasn't wholesome nor uplifting. It also reflected in the attitudes of our wonderful sons ... and us. God definitely got my attention and opened my eyes. He even allowed me to recall times in my journey through life that certain songs helped have an effect on my life that made doing things more acceptable and easier that were outside of His will. It may all appear innocent ... but innocent can be deceptive especially if it is not honoring God. The really scary part is that all these years later that I'm just beginning to see the effect that the music, books, movies & TV had on my choices that I made way back when. (Thank you God for loving me in spite of ... me.) What a burden to bear not only in my own life but in the raising of in our personal mission field God gave us with Josiah & Malachi. Pray for us as we stand in awe and humbly accountable to God in the raising of His children.

It was a true blessing that God allowed us to meet up with our dear friends/neighbors/family, the Myers, in Augusta. They were to have been deployed to a new area ... but God knew my heart and family could sure use the time with our "new family" that He has provided to fill the voids when we are away from home. We were all so excited to finally make it in ... even if we were about 4 hours later than expected due to the challenges with our rig. When we finally made it to bed ... both Randy & I slept so peaceful and sound. A little dose of friendship/family can go a long way when God is in it.

Thank you God for helping us see your blessings despite the trials! May your eyes be open to the same.

Thanks for your prayers and e-mails. The blog tends to portray the upside but all is not what it always appears. However we are definitely showered with His blessings and living in God's will which helps make the rest doable.

Daytona 500 Speedway

Once again God blessed us and provided an experience we desired without the cost. We all wanted to go see the Daytona 500 Speedway but couldn't afford the price for us to go. God once again provided the desires of our heart and the chance to show the boys if we wait and allow God He will provide, not always in the ways we are expecting especially if we don't lock Him in a box. Well, this was one of those times.

Two of the guys Randy was working with this week decided to “Ride the Track”. Well, they invited us to come as their guests to watch and of course … we were a definite yes!

We arrived at the Speedway and got to look around inside some before riding on the wagon through the Speedway tunnel and out to the pit area inside the track. There they had 3 of the cars ready for those that came to ride. We got to watch the guys get their driver gear on, load up and speed around the track. Just the sound alone gave me goose bumps!

Once again God worked His amazing wonders just for us. When we got there they had been busy with people paying for rides. However, when Josh & Marty finished, there was no one else there. So, Mr. Rob (the driver of the Dale Earnhardt Jr #88 car) who gave Marty his ride, invited us to come over the wall and get a close up of the cars. He even showed and LET both Josiah & Malachi start Dale Jr’s car. Talk about an experience. Rob answered all kinds of questions and told them they had to have at least 5 years of racing experience to get to be a driver there at the track. (My sons proudly told him that their Uncle Brad had raced cars too and Rob thought that was pretty cool.) He raced locally and had for many years. This was his dream job and I have to admit it would be somewhat nice to get paid to drive people around a track at high rates of speed. It was quite the experience.

Thank you God for giving us this amazing experience and all for the price of … FREE! He truly provides in all ways when we are open to it. Of course I do have to admit when the guys crawled in to the car and the engines fired up I did have a just a wee bit of a yearn to get to do the drive experience too … but all in God’s time and will. I was ecstatic with getting to see and watch my boys start the car and talk with the driver.

Family Week!!

Movie Night

One of the great things in life … Family Movie Night. It doesn’t really matter what the movie … as long as we get to have the popcorn along with it. This time we got the special deal of a double movie with the boys getting to pop the popcorn between movies. When we elected to stop using a microwave 15 months ago not having microwave popcorn was one of the biggest issues. Now the boys look forward to our special stove top Jiffy pop. And this mom for one cherishes their excitement, laughter and ‘gianormous’ smiles. It just makes my heart puff up like a marshmallow in a microwave! Ha!

Tropical Storm Hana

We are back in Dayton and had to go check out the waves that Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hana were bringing in. Fortunately for us the storm stayed out to sea and we are just catching the fall out from it. The waves were absolutely beautiful but very deadly. We had gone back to our previous back yard at Ormond Beach where we rode out TS Fay. There was no beach left at all this time and the foam left behind by the waves was unbelievable. I was taking pictures of the boys in front of the massive waves when one came in and got us all. Randy was laughing as he didn't realize that we hadn't seen it coming. Malachi & I weren't laughing at all because the pull of the undercurrent was so strong it almost knocked us both down. It scared all three of us (Malachi, Josiah & me). Needless to say, we promptly went back to our old site and washed off the sand and salt and loaded up for our journey to St. Augustine. Here's some of the pictures from the different beaches along the way.

World's Largest Harley Davidson Store

Obviously we couldn't miss checking out the World's Largest Harley Davidson store.  It's definitely BIG (2 huge stories) and all the "guys" picked out Harley's for themselves.  They tried picking one for mom but the best one I've seen in a store was in Austin, TX and my favorite of all time was a personal Harley on the highway in Irving TX with an amazing flame paint job.  The $100,000 Harley was a looker ... but not my style.